Sutton United deal is reward for Bexhill student's superb season

Taylor moved to the Eastbourne area from South London a year ago and joined Bexhill College in September, enrolling in A-levels in biology, psychology, and economics and being awarded a place in the Football Academy. He also signed for Eastbourne Borough U18s.

Taylor’s performances earned rave reviews and the Borough management invited him to attend first-team training sessions before he was made part of the first-team squad for the National South play-offs.

In the college football team, Taylor produced some excellent performances which led to him becoming a mainstay of the side.

Football Academy manager Sean Noble said, “Jack was an instrumental part of our success last season to the extent that he became irreplaceable in terms of team selection, and it left a big hole in the team when Jack could not play.

"The biggest compliment I can pay Jack is that he has the best attitude in terms of being a footballer I have ever worked with.

"After every performance or training session Jack would always ask what he could improve upon, or ask for my opinion on his performance and how he could improve. This mindset, I believe, along with his natural talent and physique, will see Jack have a long and successful career in football.”

For the Bexhill College academy - run in conjunction with Eastbourne Borough FC and Chelsea FC Foundation - it’s the latest in a long line of success stories. Former students like Daniel Blackmore, Izzy Payne, Leon Legge and James Vaughan have forged successful playing careers after being part of the academy.

Noble added: “The Football Academy aspires to be able to offer the best footballing experiences alongside outstanding educational opportunities.

"Our academy continues to offer all students the opportunity to study any subjects they excel in or have an interest in alongside being able to train and also compete on a regular basis as part of their normal college day.”

The Football Academy will be looking to recruit players for the 2023-24 season from September - any young players interested in the football academy should visit www.bexhillcollege.ac.uk for more.